Degradation
by ParasiticAlacrity
Summary: The year is 2004. Ash gets Misty pregnant. Misty gives birth. The year is 2015. Ash's daughter is now eleven. He has only lived with her for four years. Ash realized he had abandoned his family just as his own father did. Now begins the degradation.
1. Tenacity

"Okay, Red, come out and use fire spin on the Spearow! Pidgeot, let's see how your gust is!"

A lone Spearow sat in the middle of the field, trembling in fear when the trainer called upon her Pokemon. A Vulpix came out of a ball, spewing fire towards the small bird. A Pidgeot flew boldly into the sky right after the flames appeared, creating a tornado-worthy gust with only a flap of a wing. Suddenly, the tall grass surrounding the Spearow was on fire, but the Pokemon itself was not hurt.

"Good! Now, Pidgeot, use twister, and Red, use flamethrower!"

The Spearow was trying to fight the smoke coming from the fire by flying away. When the current of wet wind hit the Vulpix's flamethrower, though, a sudden humidity came over the small chick. Its wings became soaked in mug hotness and its eyes became enveloped in a cloud of smoke. The Spearow spiraled to the ground, creating a dull thump in the middle of the murkiness.

"Go, Pokeball!" The young trainer threw a ball-like device into the smoke. Confident, she looked down at her Pokemon. "Do you mind fetching that for me, please, Red?"

The Vulpix nodded and disappeared into darkness. Meanwhile, the trainer called out her Crawdaunt and Vileplume. She put them to work. Vileplume put new grass seed down, as Crawdaunt doused the fires. Red emerged from the gases, batting around the Pokeball with the newly caught Spearow inside. The trainer smiled softly, putting the device away and gently petting the Vulpix into a purr.

I played with the Pokeball in my hands. Only a half of a mile longer and I'd be back in town. _I hope that Dad won't be awake. _Countless times, my father told me not to touch his Pokemon. They were "experienced enough and are retired, anyway." Bullcrap. There's always room for improvement, as Dad always taught me. Pikachu is twelve years older then I, and she's still getting stronger by the day. I knew the truth, though; he thinks I'm under experienced and that I need more time to develop with my own Pokemon.

My Larvitar, Binge, took down Pidgeot using double-edge _once_. Red, for example, was one of the strongest and smartest Vulpix I had ever seen. She can create devastating combo-attacks, and without my help. And I can't forget my beloved Growlithe, Fang. It was a present from my mother when I was eight. He is competitive, strong, and obedient all at the same time. I had trained him secretly for two years, and then I turned ten. I was then enrolled in a school for Pokemon; a pointless gesture, I think. They only taught me what a Pokeball is, how to use it, and the strengths and weaknesses for the different types of Pokemon. I was expelled because I apparently "could have taught the class" if I had wanted, too. I swear I knew more then those teachers. What they taught me was no use in the real world. I had just captured another Pokemon by myself. Auburn, the newly named Spearow. That should prove to Dad that I am more experienced then I look.

I sighed, trading the small Pokeball for another one. I was about to release the Pokemon inside when someone called for me.

"Hey, you! You girl!"

I turned around to see who was yelling. It was a boy a little older then me. He looked familiar. "…Me?"  
"Yes, you! Were you the coordinator in the field back there?" I could feel my face flush.

"C-coordinator? I'm sorry, you must have the wrong person," I said, beginning to walk away when he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

"No, it was you. I remember it really well. You are from Viridian. There's no mistaking the blond hair. Those Pokemon…they have some really amazing combinations. Have you ever thought of the Grande Festival in Hoenn?" He asked me. My expression was blank.

"You have it all wrong, kid. I'm just a trainer. I can't coordinate anything."

"Yes you can! I watch you're Pokemon every morning! They way you made the grass catch fire…and last week, you shattered that Pidgeot's hyper beam using the Vulpix's iron tail. I was there! I saw it! You can't be just a trainer!" He insisted. I didn't know what to say.

"Okay, look. I've seen you around some place, because you look familiar. That's the only reason I'm going to tell you this," I began, sighing. "I'm not even a certified trainer, alright? I don't have a Pokedex or a lot of Pokemon. All I have is a Growlithe, Vulpix, Larvitar, and Spearow. And if I don't get home soon, I won't be alive to catch anymore!" I plowed straight through the kid and kept running, homeward bound. He chased after me, calling for me again.

When I reached the gate of Viridian City, the boy was out of breath and struggling to just keep walking. As for me, I was feeling good. I turned around and sent out Fang, hoping that the kid would realize that he wouldn't want to stalk me anymore.

"Fang, let's show this kid what a fire spin looks like!" I said, giving him the a-OK to char the stalker. The Growlithe opened its mouth, spewing embers to create a ring of fire. The ring danced itself over to the boy, setting him alight. The kid ran in circles, but finally decided to stop, drop, and roll. I giggled, smiling at Fang. I bent down to pet his fur. His body was warm. I stood up and gestured for him to follow.

I looked at my Poketch. It read 7:07. Crap. I blinked to make sure I wasn't seeing things, and began to run back to my house, Fang closely following. I would get up every morning at five, and then return by six-thirty. I didn't think I was going to catch anything, so it took me another fifteen. Five to walk the half a mile, ten to talk to the boy, five to run away, and two to set him on fire. Now it would take me about ten to get back to the house.

On my run, I thought about the boy. His whole face; dark skin, black hair. I'd seen him somewhere before, but where? I wasn't a very social person. I didn't go to many places. I've never been to a Pokemon center, so that rules out the urban part of Viridian. I trained my Pokemon everyday, and even trained against my father's without permission. I've never trained far, though. I always trained between Pallet and Viridian, and never really strayed far. I made sure that I was always right off of Route One when I would trained, so I could make sure the path home was easy.

I arrived at my house. I took a couple breathers to regulate my pulse again, then ran inside the home. Fang jumped in front of me. I was so caught up in watching him run around, I ran into something.

"Good morning, Casey."

_Dad._

"G-good morning, Dad."

"I was going to head out for a walk with my Pokemon. Do you want to come? Unless you were just coming back from something. It's alright if you don't."

"Fang and I just came back from a walk ourselves. I guess another one would be nice," I smiled, debating whether he was really clueless, or if I was the clueless one.

"I just noticed that your pocket is bulging. Is that more Pokemon that you caught?"

I sighed, realizing that I was the clueless one. I silently grabbed three balls out of my right pant pocket, handing them to my father. "It was only Pidgeot, Vileplume, and Crawdaunt. I needed them in order to accomplish this new combination I made up."

"Really now. I've never seen any of your combinations. Thinking of becoming a coordinator?"

I clenched my fists. "No. I find that my Pokemon are more powerful if they cooperate with each other. But you wouldn't understand. Cooperation isn't your strong point, is it, Dad?" I was asking for a fight. My Dad was better then to go for it. I didn't care, though; I was just dying for a chance to show him that my coordination training could pay off for battles and not just contests.

He gave me a look. It made me realize that Dad was bare-chested, with only a pair of track pants on. His jet-black hair was rustled into a mat of knotty hair. His look was of disapproval. I knew what he was thinking, but I refused to let it get to me.

"Pikachu and I worked together for more then ten years. We had become champions in every frontier we ever faced. I know cooperation, Casey. You do, too. But do you know competition?" This was his way of challenging me to a battle. I shot him a smirk. Fang, overhearing our conversation, nudged my leg. All across his still young face was determination.

"I'll prove it to you, Dad. I'm ready to go."

"Good," he said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "If you win, I'll let you go on your journey. If you don't, you will have to stay behind and train yourself for another year.

I faced him with no regrets. "You're on, old man. You are _so_ on."


	2. Ferocity

If you haven't figured it out already, my father is none other then the infamous Ash Ketchum. My mother is Cerulean City's Misty Ketchum. I am Casey Ketchum, and I was determined, like my father, to become the best trainer ever. I was going to make him my shadow, to show him that I'm not just what meets the eye. I knew I had to start somewhere, though.

I was in the living room of my small house, talking over the strategy with my Pokemon. We were going to have a four on four battle. I only had four Pokemon, so I had to stick with them. I was going to have Red, my Vulpix, as the starter. Following her would be Auburn the newly-caught Spearow, Binge the Larvitar, and finally Fang, supposing that my father wouldn't send out Pikachu. No matter what Pokemon I would use, I could never defeat Pikachu. I sighed and continued helping my team.

Fang was working on his flamethrower stance. He just learned the move, and the first couple times he used it, he sent himself hurdling because of the force behind it. I was correcting his footing when I froze.

"N-no way," I said, falling on my butt. I saw a picture on top of the television. The stalker. That kid from earlier that had been watching me battle, his picture was on top of the TV. Or at least, an older version of him. But I remember my father telling me stories about him. Brock. All of Dad's journeys were with him. They spent years together, but then Brock finally settled down. I gasped. _And they had a kid. _"_No way_. Dad! Mom!" I called up the stairs, jumping up and down.

My mom came from out of nowhere, making a sharp turn and almost falling down the steps. "What's the problem!?" She yelled taking out a Pokeball. I guessed she was looking for a thief or something of the sort.

"Th-that guy. Brock, right? You know him? You and Dad – you guys traveled with him!"

"Yes. And?" Dad said, coming out of the kitchen.

"There was a kid today! He was just like him! But shorter! And he was stalking me!" My parents laughed. I took a deep breath and collected myself.

"Ethan. Brock's son. He's two years older then you, you know." My Dad answered, throwing a dish towel over his shoulder.

"Ethan? What kind of crappy name is _that_!?" I asked, realizing I was still excited.

"Heh. You should be getting to know him soon," Mom answered, shaking her head, her red hair pulled back into a side ponytail.

The picture showed the same hair style, even when she was twelve. Dad had the same hairstyle, too; messy black hair placed under a hat. He had almost the same fashion style, too. A pair a jeans and a tee, but he lost the vest. Mom was completely different, though. She wore jeans and a red tunic. Her red Chuck's, however, she promised to never replace. I wondered what Brock's style was for a brief moment, but then focused on Ethan. My mom said that I was going to get close to him, and it scared me.

I mean, if a kid was stalking you for you don't even know how long, wouldn't you be afraid?

Exactly.

"Ethan is thirteen, right? You said he was two years older then me," I said, following my parents to the kitchen. My team of Pokemon followed.

"Yes," Mom said, taking apples out of a plastic bag in the fridge. Dad explained more elaborately.

"To the day, in fact. I called Brock to wish Ethan a happy second birthday, and when I hung up with him, Misty called saying her water broke and that she was on her way to the hospital." I stuck my tongue out.

"Thanks, Dad. Now I'm going to be mentally scarred forever."

"Just wait until you hear the story about-!"

"She's a little young, Ash," Mom said, smacking my father upside the head. I facepalmed.

"Heh. Well, we'll save that story for another time. Anyway, though, we should get our battle going soon. The sooner we can battle, the sooner you can go on your trip. Or the later, depending on how it turns out," Dad smirked. I felt distant for a minute, trying to think of what Pokes he was going to use. I sighed. Mom had just finished lining a pan with crust. My father returned to washing the dishes. Pikachu looked so oblivious as she sat on the counter top, eating a berry.

"I can judge you guys' battle in ten minutes. Let me just put this pie in the oven and we're all set."

**-**

"It will be a four on four battle, Ash versus Casey. Casey is the only one that is allowed to switch out Pokemon during battle. Let the battle begin!" My mom yelled, raising a hand into the air.

I rolled the Pokeball in my hand, then sent it flying. "I choose you, Red!" A Vulpix came out in a bolt. She was looking pretty damn fierce.

"Crawdaunt! Come out and show Casey how we play!" Dad yelled, his hat turned backwards. Crawdaunt came out of its Pokeball, a determined look plastered across its face. Knowing that fire types are weak to water types, I took that into account.

"Red, use iron tail!"

Red sped up and began to harden her tail.

"Crawdaunt, use knock off!" The crab-like Pokemon to swung a claw and slammed it into Red, pushing her aside. Head-on attack weren't going to work, and using any type of fire move would be dangerous. But dangerous is better then ineffective. "Now, use water gun!"

"Counter attack using flamethrower, Red!" I called. The water gun came fast – but Red was faster. She shot flames at the foe, engulfing it completely. The little water that Crawdaunt managed to muster made a sort of smoke appear.

My father, my mother, Pikachu, and I stood on edge as the smoke cleared. Red was standing over Crawdaunt's body, both of them hyperventilating. She didn't dare collapse, though.

"Finish it off using iron tail!" Red hardened her tail once again and smacked it into the weak Crawdaunt. It rolled across the battle field lifelessly.

"Crawdaunt is unable to battle! Casey wins the first round!"

Dad returned Crawdaunt, smiling at the Pokeball. I did the same.

"Go, Totodile!"

"Let's see what you can do, Auburn!" I called for the Spearow I caught earlier that morning. It looked the same as Red; ready to go.

"Totodile, use bite!"

"Auburn, dodge and use scratch!" The Spearow jumped over the Totodile, using scratch. The Totodile tripped and fell. "Good! Now, Auburn, use sand attack!" The bird kicked sand into the Pokemon's eyes. It tried to rub it out, but with no avail.

My Dad faced this problem before, however. I didn't know, but the same thing happened in the Battle Frontier. "Totodile, calm down and use water gun!" The crocodile refused. It was too afraid to move. Dad froze.

"Okay, Auburn! Now's your chance! Finish this with wing attack!" Auburn flew up into the sky, and sent itself hurdling down at a blinding speed, slamming into Totodile. It was obvious that the Pokemon took serious damage, but not enough to faint. Totodile's eyesight returned.

"Totodile, use slam and show them how it's done!" Totodile ran hard and slammed full-forcedly into Auburn, knocking her out instantly. I swallowed, but returned Auburn.

"Auburn is unable to battle! This round goes to Ash!"

"Okay, Red, let's end this!" I shouted, giving my Vulpix another go. "Use quick attack!" She dashed her way out of the device and sent Totodile flying, ending the Pokemon's rein.

"Totodile is unable to battle! Another win for Casey!"

"Good work, Totodile. Rest up. Mean while, Sceptile, let's dominate!" Sceptile appeared, using bullet seed without instruction. Red was nailed with little seeds. She was getting weak, but still refused to show it.

"Use flamethrower!" I yelled. Grass is weak to fire. Easy.

"Counter using leaf blade!"

"Give it all you got, Red!" I instructed. When she did, she forced right through that leaf blade, giving a lot off damage to Sceptile. My father's face gave off one word. Whoa.

"Now use psybeam!" A beam shining like a rainbow appeared as if it was flamethrower, striking the unsuspecting Sceptile. It was knocked right off its feet, fainting.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! This win goes to Casey!"

I smiled.

"Tie us up, Swellow!" Dad yelled after taking Sceptile back. Pikachu wasn't expecting Swellow, but she wasn't expecting Dad to call on her either. To be honest, I felt the same. But I had seen Swellow fight before, so I knew what to do.

"Return, Red. Let's create some awe, Binge!" I sent out my rock and ground type Pokemon. Even my Dad was in bewilderment. Everyone knows that ground types are ineffective to flying. I could only chuckled.

"O-okay, Swellow, use hyper beam!"

"Binge, drain punch!" I yelled for my Larvitar. He jumped into the air and punched the Swellow, just as soon as it began to charge power. "Now use dark pulse to release that energy!" A bad vibe surrounded the environment. The dark pulse was so powerful, I could even feel the mental warfare going on in my own head, and I was more then fifty feet away, while Swellow was less the fifty inches away. It fell to the ground, confused.

"No way!" My Dad said.

"Amazing job, Binge! Now, Fang, finish Swellow off with a flamethrower!" Binge returned and Fang appeared. In his new stance, Fang released a terrifying flame from his mouth. It fired at the confused Pokemon, sending Swellow flying into the air, and hurdling back down again. Fang snarled, showing a sparkling white canine.

"Swellow is unable to battle! Casey wins!"


	3. Angst

"Are you ready?"

My father asked, handed me my bag. I took it from him angrily. I knew he was letting me on my trip, but I was still angry that I had to wait almost two years. I made eye contact with him for a brief moment, but I could see something in his eyes. Remorse? Repentance? Worry, helplessness, pain? I didn't let it bother me. I turned for the door, but he set a hand on my shoulder. I turned back around.

"You earned her," he smiled softly, setting a Pokeball in my hand. Pikachu, on the floor next to Dad, nodded in agreement. I knew who 'she' was.

"Pidgeot...? But why? I thought you said your Pokemon don't need to be trained any more then they are."

"She doesn't need to be trained, really, because she's already pretty tough. But she obeys you, Casey. She would be more of a use for you then she will ever be for me."

I stared at the Pokeball. I wanted to crush it, but Pidgeot was inside. I just smiled, turning for the door once again. I told myself repeatedly that I did earn Pidgeot, I did. "Later, guys. See you in a couple days."

"We love you, Case," my mom called after me. There was some rejection in her voice.

I shut the door behind me, hopping down the steps onto the sidewalk. The sun made the cool earth warm. I looked at the berry plants bordering my house. Pecha, Shuca, Hondew, and Sitrus berries were all ripe and begging to be picked. I took the majority of them and left my parents some for pies, cakes, and Poffins. I was shoving the last of them in my bag when Binge scared the crap out of me.

"Larvitar!" He yelled, appearing out of a Pokeball. He was hungry.

"Jesus, Binge," I gasped, falling on my butt. The Larvitar jumped onto my stomach and grabbed a Hondew off the tree. As if he was mocking me, he grinned and shoved the berry in his mouth. I lifted my head, growled, and settled it back onto the ground. I gave Binge a minute to enjoy the bitterness that he loved, and then plucked him off my stomach and put him on the ground. "Might as well enjoy one, too," I said, popping a small Shuca into my mouth. It had a sweetly spicy taste to it.

"Larv," Binge pulled on my pant leg, signaling he wanted another berry. His appetite had been larger then normal. My dad said that it meant that he was getting close to becoming a Pupitar. I handed Binge a Shuca. He snatched it reluctantly, mumbling. I was hoping that if he ate less I would be able to post-pone his evolution until we got to Pallet. If I walked, it would take about two hours. It was five miles, and I decided that I'd run the last mile.

Binge and I were finishing up the first two miles. The morning sun was now the afternoon sun, and I was beginning to get hungry. Binge seemed really tired, probably because I was rationing him. I wanted Grandma or Professor Oak to be there when he evolved. "C'mon, Binge. I'll give you something to eat as soon as we hit Pallet, okay?"

"Larv Larvitar," he said depressingly. We stopped walking. I squatted and rubbed Binge's head. I felt horrible, but I forced a soft smile on my face. I really wanted to wait, because I didn't know how much longer until he would evolve. The look of hungry on his face, though. It was saddening.

I opened the side pocket of my bag, taking a mixture of berries. "Here," I said to Binge, dropping the berries on the ground. He looked at me quizzically. I dismissed the face. "The sooner you evolve, the sooner you'll be able to become a Tyranitar."

"Larvitar," he agreed with a grin. He ate the berries one by one. I smiled, knowing that I made the right choice. It also gave me some time to sit and think.

"So what do you think of this Ethan kid?" I asked Binge as we started the fourth mile.

"Larvi." _Not much._

"He kind of scares me. And Mom said that we are going to be befriending him soon."

"Larvitar? Larv, larvi." _Really? You don't act like it, to be honest._

"Heh. That kid's a loser. He stalked me since I don't even know when! What's even scarier is that his dad is my dad's best friend!"

"Larv~!"

"_I do not!_" I yelled. I realized that I just proved Binge's point. What he said, I dare not elaborate. I'm pretty sure you got it anyway. The Larvitar turned its back on me, crossed its arms, and nodded. _Evil little creature_, I thought. But that's what I get for having Pokemon as best friends.

I made him return to his Pokeball. I sighed deeply. I had a feeling that this adventure wasn't all that I dreamt it to be.

I shoved a Pecha berry into my mouth. I wiped my chin as I felt some of the juices dribble. The sweet taste reminded me of the pies my mother would make. I could tell that she hated to cook, let alone doing all the house work. She was the woman who gave me all of my traits. I was such a tomboy, just like she was. Mom was always convincing herself to not fall into the trends, especially when the Pokemon Contests began to rule over the Pokemon world. She was the only girl in her city with the heart to become a trainer, and not a coordinator. I feel the same way, and that's why I always got so offended when anyone called me a coordinator. I mean, it's true that I use combinations, but when you know how to react to an attack, you could reverse the effects. I proved that to my father. He now knew that I was not just a kid, even though he continued to believe that I was.

Heh. My father. I probably shouldn't say this, but I hate my father. I hated him then, I hate him now. I never even knew I had a father until about a month before my eighth birthday. I remember my mother and I being like best friends. She rarely ever spoke of Dad, if ever. I realized I was missing my dad when I went to school. I would see all these kids' fathers picking them up from school, while my mother came and got me. I asked Mom one day where Daddy was, but she told me not to worry about it and that we'd see him again some day. I was five. By my seventh birthday, I had given up hope. I would chant all day – to myself, of course – that I would never see my father again, to just give up hope. Since I abandoned that hope, when I saw him for the first time, I felt as if someone punched me in my face. I remember hearing someone knock on the door, and running down the stairs to see who it is. But by the time I was half way down, I could see Dad and Mom kissing. They were making out. I wasn't even eight yet, so I couldn't process the situation. I, incredibly, knew it was my father, and I knew that they hadn't seen each other in a long time, but what I didn't understand was that he didn't just get up and leave one day. He was already traveling when it happened, and he was determined to finish what he had come to do, and my mother understood.

I saw them and immediately ran right back up the stairs, tears streaming my face. I slammed the door to my room, locked it, grabbed the Kanto Pokedex that I found, and opened my window. I was on the second story, and it was a pretty damn long way down. I jumped onto the roof, shut the window, and began slowly towards the end of the shingled rooftop. All it took was for me to lose my footing, and I was tumbling in mid-air. You would think that that was it, it was over and done, I was dead. But it was Pidgeot. My dad's Pidgeot. I thought it was just a random Pokemon trying to help me, but when I pulled out the outdated Pokedex, it said that Pidgeot was owned by Dad. I was in complete bewilderment, because I didn't know that he released the bird. I was just wondering where it came from, because I had never seen one of his Pokemon before. I was just relieved that I wasn't dead.

I shook my head as Pallet came into view. I grinned wildly. "Go, Fang!" I called throwing a Pokeball in front of me. My Growlithe pounced out of the device and turned to me. That was my racing and running partner right there. I smiled at him.

"Growl-ithe!" Fang roared. I stuck my tongue at him. He mimicked me. I snarled, he mimicked.

"Good boy, Fang!" I praised him as he jumped into my arms, licking my face. I loved his warm fur, especially when it was a cold day. When he stopped, we stared at each other.

"Growl, growlithe." _How about a run?_

"How about a _race_?"


	4. Falsity

"Casey!"

Grandma threw her arms around me and hugged me. Fang looked at me painfully. He had no idea.

"Hi...Grandma...," I tried to breathe. She let me go.

"Come inside, Casey. We can have lunch and then you can go get your Pokedex." I grinned.

Fang and I stepped inside the house. My dad told me that she had the same house since he was little. I shut the door behind me. Grandma disappeared into the kitchen and I was left in the living room. Fang jumped on the couch and nuzzled himself into the corner. I smiled and walked over to him. Next to the couch was a side table, pictures scattered over it. I picked up one picture. I was really young, probably younger then two, and it was of Dad, Mom, and me. It was a family photo at the beach. I knew that Dad came to visit Mom and I a couple times while he was in Sinnoh, but none that I can remember. After he started getting some badges, my mom said, he couldn't stop training to come back. I set the picture down and picked up another one. It was just Dad. He had a green shirt, a blue vest, jeans, and a red and white hat. A 'C' was sketched on the white part of the hat. The picture made it look like it was when he first started his journey because Pikachu had her arms crossed and was leaning against his leg, annoyed. Even Pikachu hated my father at one point.

"Here, Casey," Grandma came in, setting a plate on the table across the room. "I hope you like curry."

"Oh, yeah," I smiled, walking over to the table. "I love curry."

"Mime!" I jumped. A Mr. Mime came in through the front door, a broom in hand. _What the hell is that thing?_

"Thank you, Mr. Mime," Grandma took the broom and dismissed the Pokemon.

"Holy crap." I said bluntly, clutching my shirt.

"You never met Mr. Mime, have you?" She asked me, sticking a fork of curry into her mouth. I sat down and began to eat, too.

"No, I guess not. It...is a Pokemon, right?" I asked between bites. She giggled.

"Yes, it is. They are psychic types. Mine just loves to clean."

"Oh," I replied shortly. I was hungry.

"You eat like your father," she finally said to me. I set my fork down slowly and grabbed a napkin. If I were to be someone, it would not be my father. Period.

"Is that good?"

"Well it's definitely not a bad thing!" Grandma giggled again. It was beginning to get rather irritating.

We ate the rest of our lunch in peace. Fang was snoozing on the couch. When we finished washing the dishes, she asked me about my Pokemon.

"Is that Growlithe your only Pokemon?"

"Fang? Oh, no. I have five. Him, Binge, Red, Auburn, and Pidgeot." Grandma smiled and nodded. I took out the Pokeballs. "Come on out guys!"

Red, Auburn, and Pidgeot appeared. "They're so cute!" Grandma gushed, squeezing all of them. I sweatdropped and then facepalmed. My poor Pokemon. After the sorry cries from my team, Grandma noticed Pidgeot. "...She looks familiar."

I nodded. "That's because Pidgeot used to belong to Dad."

"Wow! So he's really letting you go on your journey, huh?"

"Yeah," I smiled, then counted my Pokemon again. _Where the hell...? Dammit, Binge. _"Grandma, have you seen a Larvitar anywhere? Possibly eating?" She shook her head.

"Crap!" I ran outside. He was probably eating all the berries in Grandma's garden. I heard the rustling of plants, confirming my theory. "Jesus, Binge. You couldn't wait?" I asked the Larvitar as I heard the rustling getting closer.

"Pu, pupitar."

I jumped.

"What the crap, Binge! You couldn't wait!?" I repeated with more enthusiasm. He looked sheepish. I facepalmed and then picked him up from over the short white picket fence. Grandma and the team followed me outside. Fang was still sleeping.

"It looks like your Larvitar evolved into a Pupitar," Grandma smiled. _Good observation, Delia._

"I guess so," I smiled. "Okay, guys. Return, and _stay_ there." My Pokemon went back into their devices, including Binge. Grandma and I returned inside her small house. "I'm going to head over to Oak's place now, Grandma. I'll be back for tonight," I told her, scooping Fang into my arms. He was really tired.

"Okay, Casey. Be good!" She called as I walked out the door. Fang stretched and opened his eyes, licking my face.

"Hey, buddy," I smiled, putting him on the ground. Professor Oak's house was at the edge of town, where the route to Cinnabar was. It was less then a half a mile away, so it only took about five minutes to get there. The Oak Place was pretty big; considering Pokemon, a lab, and house were all held there.

I knocked on the door. Somebody yelled something from inside, but the door made it muffled. I guessed that they said 'come in', so I helped myself, letting Fang jump in front of me. A man no older then my dad - probably the same age, twenty-seven – was sorting through papers when he greeted me.

"I'm Gary Oak, researcher, you probably want a Pokemon, and I can help you," he said dully. I could tell the speech was obviously rehearsed. The name Gary Oak got me, though. He looked familiar, brown hair, brown eyes, weird style. He wasn't Professor Oak, that was for sure. He looked at me briefly, turned back to his papers, and then stared at me again.

"Ash!?" He yelled. I gave him a look.

"_Casey._"

"...Casey Ketchum?"

"_Yes._" I droned. I could see Fang roll his eyes. He was as tired of the Ash thing just as much as I was.

"So he wasn't lying when he said he had a kid," he thought aloud. "Oh, um, well, follow me. I'm guessing you want a starter."

"Well, not exactly. I already have five Pokemon. What I really came for was a Pokedex."

"Ah, okay. I have tons of Pokemon, though, so you might as well take one," Gary told me, arriving at the lab.

"Alright," I said. He walked over to an open filing cabinet. I tried to think of something to say. "How do you know my Dad?"

"You really don't know? Ash and I have been rivals since we were born." That was news to me.

"He never told me," I said, petting Fang. "He doesn't tell me anything, really."

"That's strange," Gary said, fumbling around with Pokeballs. "He used to never shut his trap when we were younger."

"Well, Dad and I don't know each other very well," I sighed. "He used to never be around."

"That's partially my fault," Gary said, setting the devices down on the table. "I was always pushing myself to be better then him, and so when I discovered Sinnoh, I told him about it, and he immediately wanted to go, too. By the time he started his journey, Misty called to tell him that she was pregnant with you." I looked at him, again. If he thought that telling me the 'real' story was going to make me hate my father less, it was failing miserably.

"That makes me feel so much better," I replied sarcastically. Gary shrugged. I remembered being surprised when I saw him. "I thought Professor Oak was much older. But you're as old as my dad, right?"

"No, you're right. The real Oak was my grandfather. He's long gone now," I bit my lip.

"Oh, uh...sorry," he waved his hand, dismissing the subject. After straightening the balls out, he lifted up his head.

"Pick one while I find a Pokedex for you. These are the primary starters for Kanto: Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander."

I nodded as he went back to the messy cabinet. I wasn't very keen on water types, so I already knew that Squirtle wasn't what I was going to pick. Bulbasaur was really cute, but in its final evolution, Venusaur, it looked like a high-school kid with bad acne. Charmander, though, was a fire type. _Fang and Red are fire types. _I smiled, knowing that a Charizard would be an amazing addition to my team if I could evolve the Charmander fast enough. I looked up at Gary, who was setting up a Pokedex for me.

"I want the Charmander," I smirked, grabbing the Pokeball, rolling it around in my hands. "Blaze." Gary nodded.

"Blaze it is. Here you go, Case." He handed me the Pokedex.

"Sweet," I smiled. "So, how do I use it?" I asked bluntly.

"If you see a Pokemon, take it and point the 'Dex at it. It'll give you information about the species."

"Ah, okay. Thanks, Gary!" I called, jogging out of the lab, Fang next to me.

"Smell ya later, kid," he smiled softly, returning to his work.

Outside of the lab/house thing, Fang and I were playing around. He had a lot of energy after his nap. We were working on his flamethrower stance again so we could get it right. It was obvious that Fang was itching to evolve into an Arcanine, but I was waiting for the right time. Red, too, wanted to evolve into a Ninetails, but she wasn't ready yet, either. After realizing that Fang still had energy to burn, I decided that we should have a battle. "Would you like that, boy?" I asked the Growlithe. He panted eagerly. I smiled. "Cool. Let's see what Blaze can do!" I sent out the newly received Charmander.

"Char!" Blaze growled cutely. I smirked.

"Okay, Fang, we challenge you to a battle!" Fang nodded and ran about twenty feet away. "Now, Blaze, use smoke screen!" Without hesitation, the Charmander filled the battle field with smoke. "Good!"

Suddenly, my Growlithe appeared from the dense smoke, pouncing Blaze. Fang was going to use bite.

"Shake him off using scratch!" I yelled and Blaze obeyed. Fang fell back a little bit, barely hurt. _Crap. _Fang attempted on using bite again, and won. He sinked his teeth into Blaze. "Quick, use ember, Blaze!" The Charmander used the weak fiery attack, but it was enough to burn Fang. Fang, even though in pain, began to use take down. I knew that would be the end of the battle if I didn't think fast. "Dodge and use...dragon claw!" I shouted, hoping the reptile would know it. Immediately, the Pokemon jumped out of the way of the charging Growlithe and slashed him. Fang was hurled into me. I was thrown onto the ground, my puppy Pokemon in my hands. He was weak, but he fought well.

"Good job, guys," I smiled at my Pokemon, making Blaze return and holding Fang in my arms. I looked over at Gary's lab, seeing Ethan's face by the gate to enter the yard.

_Oh, crap._


	5. Malice

"How come every where I go, you're always there?" I finally asked Ethan. He was cleaning Fang up for me, sprayed a potion and was bandaging his wounds. I thanked him for it, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Fang was tired; sleep could fix him up quickly. Ethan finished tying up the last of the gauze, releasing Fang to do whatever. We were in the back of the lab, which was created to be a Pokemon friendly place. It was almost like a sort of jungle. I smiled as Fang hopped into the bushes and disappeared. Ethan, sitting on the ground, was cleaning up his medical supplies and putting them back into his bag. He stood and faced me. He was at easily a half a foot taller then me.

"Well, ever since Professor Oak died, Gary's been needing some extra help. I come around a couple times a week to help with the Pokemon. The days I'm not here, I make sure to make an easy list for either my dad or Gary. I mean, it's a sure hike from Pewter to here every day."

"...Oh," I said, finally understanding. "_That's _why you see me so often. So you just help with the Pokemon? Because the lab needs some serious work."

"Yeah. I'm afraid to help with anything else."

I laughed. "Wait, so you're not afraid to stalk girls, but you're afraid to work in a lab?"

"Well, Gary's bee...violent lately. I really don't know how to explain it, because when I first met him, he was happy."

"What do you mean by 'violent'?" I calmed.

"How else? First he gets agitated, and then begins to flip out. A couple of weeks ago, he fired all the lab workers. That's why the lab is such a mess." He told me, gesturing for me to follow him. We began to walk towards the middle of the garden (or jungle, however you see it fit), right in a small dip in terrain. A stream trickled right through the middle of the garden. A small Pokemon that I wasn't familiar with was drinking the water.

I pulled out my Pokedex and pointed it at the blue reptile-like Pokemon. "No data entered." The device stated in a virtual tone.

"Huh? I just got this!" I began to get frustrated, playing the it for a few seconds, trying to figure out why it wasn't working. Ethan chuckled. I look up at him. "What are you laughing at?" I snarled.

"Gary gave you a Kanto 'Dex, Case," he informed me, using my nickname. I didn't know whether to inquire further about the Pokedex or confront him about getting too familiar with me. "You can only use it to view Pokemon from this region using that old school thing," he laughed again.

"Well, I've never been out of Kanto," I admitted sheepishly. Ethan gaped.

"Come with me," Ethan grabbed my hand and led me back to the lab. "I have to show you what a real Pokedex looks like."

Moments later, Ethan and I were in a back room. He was searching for one of the newer Pokedexes, the National Dex. It contained all Pokemon up to Sinnoh. It was so much more aerodynamic then the Kanto Dex. I was playing around with Ethan's. It was a touch screen, and it could show information for all Pokemon from description to where to find it. I was beaming with delight when Ethan emerged from inside a box, Pokedex in hand.

"Found one," he smirked. I grinned and snatched it out of his hand.

"Thanks," I said politely. It was a once in a lifetime thing I was polite, and I guess Ethan noticed, because the look of confusion on his face was evident. I rolled my eyes and walked back into the lab, Ethan closely following. I turned to him and was about to point out that he was stalking me again, but suddenly, screaming came from across the room. Ethan and I turned in unison.

Gary was on the floor, being attacked by Fang. "Stop staring at me...help!" He yelled as he kept throwing my Growlithe off of him. Fang was persistent and didn't stop jumping on Gary. Fang's expression wasn't playful, but extremely serious. I gasped.

"Fang, heel!" I called for my Growlithe. He looked up at me, running at me. He didn't say anything, but bit my pant leg and tried to pull me along. I exchanged glances with Ethan and we followed Fang.

We ended back into the garden, at the stream. Fang barked. Whimpers, cries, and shrieks came from the other side. Pokemon were in peril on the other side, and the stream was, at the very least, seven feet across. There was no way we could jump. It made me wonder how Ethan was able to cross, but I dismissed the thought. Thinking fast, I grabbed a Pokeball and threw it into the air, Pidgeot appearing.

"Pidgeot, help us out!" I yelled. Pidgeot cooed, coming towards the ground. Fang and I jumped on top of her, while Pidgeot gripped Ethan with her talons. She flew over the stream and onto land again, setting Ethan down and letting Fang and I jump off. "Go and scout ahead of us!" I shouted at Pidgeot as she soared over the bushes and searched the grassy plain that lay ahead. I began to wonder how big this backyard was as the bushes got thicker. The whimpers and cries became louder, though.

"Pidgey pidgeot!" Pidgeot chirped, flying at us. _Follow me, it's this way._

"Over here!" I shouted to Ethan and Fang, running after Pidgeot. The brush began to thin again, and I could make out two figures. One female, one male. I came to a stop, everyone crashing into me from behind. Pidgeot roosted on a tree. The figures came clear to me. Both of them had all black clothes, save the red 'R' painted on their chest. Their shoes and head gear were also red. The woman had on a bandanna, keeping her blond hair out her face. I looked down at my own hair. It was the same shade of blond, but hers looked natural. My black roots were coming in, making my hair look disgusting. The man was big. At least weighing three hundred fifty pounds, the man had on a head band to keep his long, greasy brunette hair from burning his eyes. At least, that was my perspective.

Both thugs had burlap sacks. They were pretty small, cramming about fifteen Pokemon in each one. I wanted to jump out and attack them, but I somehow held myself back. The cries were loud, but no Pokemon tried to attack the duo. The most logical reason I could come up with was the Toxicroak. One of the grunts owned it, and it was helping tie the sack and throw them into a pile.

"I think we hit the jackpot, Fred," the lady squealed, her tiny figure dancing.

"You think? This is Professor Oak's laboratory! There's gotta be at least two hundred more around here!" Fred laughed. I cringed. It was _that_ bad.

"Fang, Pidgeot," I whispered to my Pokemon, "distract them for a minute." The two nodded, leaping into action. Fang pounced on the woman, knocking her to the ground. Pidgeot messed with Fred's head a bit, teasing him with her glorious feathers.

"Angie, look at these guys," Fred said to his coworker, Angie. His eyes danced at the sight of such a beautiful Pokemon.

"I know! They're so cute!" Angie squealed again.

"Croak," the Toxicroak tried to warn the trainers of Ethan and me. It shuddered, making me stifle a laugh. It looked funny. We slinked around the bushes descreetly, disappearing behind a thick curtain of ivy. The darkness came fast, putting us in the shadows. I became completely immobilized.

"Why do you keep stopping!?" Ethan whispered in a hushed voice.

"I don't...it's nothing," I decided, swallowing air. I began to take a step further when suddenly Ethan grabbed my arm and pulled me back. As I fell down, blue toad-like hand and red claw burst through the ivy, creating a spot of light in the now incomplete darkness. I gasped.

"Go, Kabutops!" Ethan yelled, throwing a pokeball.

"Bu-tops!" Kabutops howled as he appeared. I gawked.

"Use slash!" Ethan commanded. Kabutops took his scythes and cut the ivy in half, no problem. Light scared the darkness away, and Ethan and I tumbled onto the field.

"Huh?" Angie said, unaware of what was happening. Fang was licking her face, with no intention of stopping. Kabutops and Toxicroak were engaging in battle, and Ethan turned to help his Pokemon. I stood alone, smirking.

"Ang, help me catch the Pidgeot!" Fred shouted, chasing my Pokemon around.

"Forget about the bird, you imbecile! We have company!" She jumped up from where Fang had her pinned. Fred turned away from Pidgeot to look at me. Now that Fred, Angie, and Toxicroak were busy, it was my chance.

"Grab some sacks and fly, Pidgeot! Fang, follow her!" My Pokemon were gone in the matter or a second. Fred and Angie sneered.

"You...child!" Angie snorted. She had her glare piercing right through me. I just laughed out loud.

"What are you going to do..._bitch_?"

Now, if there's one thing you should know, it's that I was eleven years old. I was going to be turning twelve the following week, but either way, you usually wouldn't hear language like this coming from a child my age. Remember, the dumb ass Ash Ketchum is my father, and the tom-boy mermaid is my mother. I've heard my fair share of verbal abuse. (Not to me, of course, but after my father being gone for as long as seven years? You can't even begin to imagine what Mom had to say to that.) Plus, my hair and skin color was equal to Angie's, and so I could very well have been her daughter. I think you should get the picture by now.

"You just got told by a little girl, Ang," Fred laughed.

"You wanna fight dirty?" Angie snarled. "I'll give you dirty! I choose you, Girafarig!"

She sent out the long neck Pokemon. I chuckled. "You're not going to win with that, lady."

"Really? If you are so sure, let's make a bet. I win, I get to take what's rest of the Pokemon. If I lose, we leave with nothing!" I bounced my head around a bit.

"Seems fair. Deal," we shook hands. Ethan looked over at me, but made sure he had one eye on the battle he was facing. Fred had taken over Toxicroak.

"Are you crazy, Casey!? You can't be that! Those Pokemon don't belong to us!" He yelled at me. I waved a hand in his direction, dismissing him completely. Angry, Ethan returned to his battle.

"Let the battle begin," I smirked, taking out a Pokeball. "Let's do this, Binge!" I said happily, my Pupitar appearing from a red bolt.

"Use stomp, Girafarig!" The Pokemon raced towards Binge, neighing.

"Dodge and use giga impact," I said to Binge, almost as if it was nothing to me.

Binge quickly dodged the attack, flying high into the air. He came down hard into the Girafarig, sending it hurdling the other way. The Pokemon skidded across the ground, weak. I smirked. _Now _that's _how we play. _The look of awe was evident on Angie's face.

"Confusion!" Angie said quickly. From where the Girafarig was laying, it lifted its head up and struggled. Amplified waves came from the Pokemon, and I realized right away that Binge wouldn't be able to dodge them.

"Binge!" I yelled. He turned to face me, and I could see that he wasn't himself. Something else was possessing his body, and I had no idea what to do. He was confused. "Use...use headbutt!" I yelled, preparing myself for the pain. Quickly and hurtfully, it did come, as predicted. Binge rammed into me, throwing me into a nearby tree. I groaned. He hit me right in the gut. I swallowed, the cramping in my stomach refusing to go away. I winced, but managed to open my eyes to Binge in my arms. "You okay, buddy?" I choked, forcing a smile.

"Pupitar," he said, worried. _Sorry. _Hewas back to his normal self, at least. I took a deep breath and stood up, but barely. I smiled at Binge, giving him the permission to return to battle.

"It's all good!" I laughed, even though it hurt miserably. "Now, Binge, use earthquake and put an end to this thing!" Once again, Binge rose high into the air. He came down faster then last time, hitting the ground with a dull thud. I braced myself as the ground shook, throwing the already weak Girafarig into the wooded area. I smiled. "Looks like I win, huh?"

"Fine," Angie growled. "Fred, we're leaving." She took two Pokeballs out of her pocket, returning her fainted Girafarig from the bushes. With the other one, she called out her Fearow, setting herself on top of it. Sadly, Fred returned his fainted Toxicroak and sat on top of the Fearow with Angie.

"Good riddance," spat Ethan. I agreed, then looked ahead to wear Fang and Pidgeot ran with some of the other Pokemon. "I'll free these guys," he said, referring to the Pokemon trapped in the sacks still. "You should go and find your Pokemon, before dinner time rolls around."

I checked my Poketch. He's right. It was already four o' clock.


	6. Odiousness

"There you guys are," I was relieved at the sight of my Pokemon. Pidgeot and Fang were exhausted from flying and running, ergo completely unable to free the trapped Pokemon. At the sight of the still bagged Pokemon, I gasped. "Return...now, Blaze!" I called out my newly obtained Charmander only after returning my nearly fainted Pokemon. "Use scratch to free these poor Pokes."

Blaze nodded, cutting open the sack. The whimpers turn to cries of freedom. I smiled. There was a Cubone, Oddish, Goldeen, and Teddiursa. I felt bad for them, being crammed in there for such a long time. I took a deep breath, gesturing for them to follow me back to the lab, about ten minutes away. Even though it took me about an hour to figure my way around the whole yard, which Ethan told me was about one quarter of a square mile. That is a _lot_ of land. I took a deep breath, leading the Pokemon to safety, Blaze watching our backs.

-

"That was great, Grandma, thanks," I smiled, putting my plate in the sink. She replied with another smile, and began to say something when the phone rang.

"Ah. I'll be right back, Casey," she nodded, grabbing the wireless of the cradle and took it into another room.

I ate dinner with Gary and Ethan the night before. Ethan stayed in Pallet, because there was a sick Pokemon he had to take care of. When it began to get late, I said good-bye and head back over to my Grandmother's house for the night. I let all of my Pokemon run free for the overnight. They all sat in my room somewhere. When I woke up the next morning, Ash's mom was making breakfast. So I got ready, took my team outside, and did some training for about twenty minutes or so. Grandma called me in, so then we ate. I left a couple bowls of PokeFood outside so that my Pokemon could get some nourishment. The food was from Ethan, almost like a present. I thanked him for it, but nothing more. So there I stood, washing the dishes, listening intently to my grandmother's phone call.

"No," I heard her bark. "It's Ash's choice." Silence. "He doesn't even know you, Giovanni, and you plan to tell him now? And he's not going to let you meet your granddaughter after this long." She was talking to a man named Giovanni about me, that much was clear. I hiccuped as I began drying the dishes. "He doesn't know who you really are, though. All he knows you as is the man whom tried to take advantage of his surroundings," and with that, a click. Grandma came back into the kitchen in a huff. "Sorry about that," she smiled, helping me finish the dishes. I smiled, hiccuping.

"Who was it? I wouldn't be surprised if it was Dad," I faked a giggle, hoping to squeeze some information out of her. The man must've been my grandfather, also known as Ash's dad. It was evident that Dad didn't know his own father from the conversation. Grandma froze when I said 'Dad', but then she registered the thought, sighing. She was obviously relieved. I guess she realized that 'I didn't hear anything.'

"It...was your father," she lied. I hiccuped again and shrugged it off. I walked out the room without a word.

"I guess I'm going to have to get going, then," I said, about to head out the door.

"Wait!" Grandma poked her head into the living room. "You don't want to stay a couple more days?"

"Well if Dad called, I should be getting home. I can make it there in an hour and a half or so if I leave now."

"Oh...okay." Grandma smiled at me. She must've really not have wanted me to know who Giovanni was, because she didn't even fight back. I became perplexed, but didn't pursue any further. I smiled at her, gathering my things. I could see my grandmother's hesitance as she swallowed, still saying nothing. I felt myself roll my eyes out of habit, walking out the door. "Bye, Casey, and have a nice trip!" I nodded, returning all of my Pokemon into their separate Pokeballs, save Fang. He was going to stick with me.

"Later, Grandma," I said, without turning around. I could imagine her sulk in pity as the door shut with a dull thud. I took a breath, looking down at Fang. He was content. _That makes one of us. _I set off down the dusty road, seeing a figure in the distance. It was heading towards me from Oak's lab, so I guessed it was Ethan from the height. Fang barked in excitement. I smiled. Ethan made out my shape in the distance, waving me down.

"Hey!" He yelled, running down the road. I laughed out loud, his silly grin plastered across his face. He realized how funny he looked. Ethan immediately straightened up. "Looking for a traveling companion?" He asked me.

"Sure," I smiled at him, walking ahead. I have to admit, I didn't forget Giovanni the slightest bit. He was the number one priority on my mind at that moment, and I made a note on my Poketch to ask Dad if he knew anything about his mysterious father, even if he didn't know that they were related. Ethan noticed, peeking over my shoulder to see what I was writing.

"Who's Giovanni?" He asked me curiously, still reading the small note.

"You little monster," I shot him a glare, pulling my hand away. "Don't you know that it's rude to breathe down someone's neck!?" I yelled at him.

"Hey, hey hey," Ethan slid back a few steps after I snapped. "Chill. You don't have to tell me. It was just human curiosity." He could create pretty good damn excuses, I had learned over the past two days. That was one of them. I sighed, crossing my arms.

"It doesn't really matter if you know or not, because really, I have no idea myself." I walked ahead of Ethan, leaving him behind. Fang ran and jumped onto my shoulder. I let him hang on as Ethan ran up next to me again.

"Wait, is that why you have to talk to your dad?"

"Well, yeah. I thought maybe he might know the guy, but not know about him. Do you know what I'm getting at?"

"...Not really, but you can keep thinking that."

"You're so funny," I rolled my eyes, looking at Ethan. He was staring at his feet, obviously in intense thought.

"Do you know his last name?"

"No, why?"

"I've heard of a Giovanni, but there are many people in this world..."

"Who!?" I yelled, jumping in front of him. "Kanto is _not_ that big!" That got his attention.

"Do you remember Fred and Angie from yesterday?"

"Of _course_ I remember them, dork wad."

"They had a red 'R' painted on their shirt. Team Rocket's signature letter."

"What of it?"

"Giovanni: leader and founder of legendary criminal organization Team Rocket."

"Are you telling me that my grandfather is a criminal?"

"No...I'm_ informing_ you," Ethan told me, as if it made a difference.

I took a deep breath. In a matter or minutes, I found out my grandfather's name. In a matter of seconds, I found out that he was a criminal. I thought that things couldn't get any worse from there. But, of course, that is one of the clichés that come up in everyday life. _Everything_ can get worse.

Ethan and I arrived in Viridian some time later. My house was only a few minutes into arriving in the city, and when I would come home with a boy, my mom would probably just smile and my dad would more then likely be proud. I sighed to myself, wondering if he even knew this Giovanni figure. He could have known him, maybe even was good friends with him. I, however, had no idea who he was until that day. I opened the door to my small house.

"I'm home!" My voice echoed throughout the house. I didn't really care where my parents were, all I knew was that I was hungry. Ethan followed me into the kitchen, sitting at the breakfast table. I walked over to the fridge, grabbing a liter of soda. I looked over at Ethan, whom was suddenly quiet. "Do you want any?"

"Nah, I'm okay," he said, looking through the glass of the table and at his feet again. I poured him a glass anyway and sat across from him. He wanted attention, I could tell. When he looked at his feet there was always something going on in that little mind of his.

"What?"

"You don't look like either of your parents," he said, looking up at me. "Your hair color is different." He was correct about the hair color, but everyone said I looked just like my father, but with my mother's cerulean colored eyes. I had dyed my hair blond so that at first glance, nobody would even think that I knew, let alone related to, the almighty Ash Ketchum. I'm my own kind of mighty, and I don't need my father's blood to prove it.

"My hair is naturally black," I admitted, showing him my roots. "I dye it blond, so I don't look like Ash." I never really called him Dad. Only when I was in front of him.

"Really? I couldn't notice. You really don't like him that much?"

"I've known him for four years. Are you kidding?"

"That's right," Ethan looked at the ceiling. _Whenever Brock would visit from their Sinnoh trip, Ash always had to stay back for a gym battle._

"Hey, kids," Mom walked in, smiling. She obviously just came back from her Pokemon Gym in Cerulean; her hair was still a little wet. The halter of her bathing suit was poking out from her tunic. "How have you two been?"

"Fine," I smiled at her, taking Ethan and my empty cups and setting them in the sink.

"Hey, Misty," Ethan said, not bothering to be formal. "I've been pretty good, but Mom's in Hoenn for some contest and Dad's watching the gym for me." I shot him a look.

"That's great, Ethan. Say hello to your parents for me, alright?" My mom grabbed some leftover food from the fridge and walked back into the living room. I rushed back into my seat.

"You're a gym leader?" I asked him quickly.

"...You didn't know?"

"Of course I didn't! I thought your Dad was!"

"Actually...my uncle, Forrest, was. He went with my mom to Hoenn, though. I've mostly been taking care of the gym, and I share partial ownership." So, right there, I met my first challenge. Ethan was Pewter City's gym leader, I was going to beat him.

"I'm a gym leader, too, but of course you know that. I am actually supposed to be at Cerulean's gym, not Mom." I smirked. Water versus rock? Ethan would be easily beaten.

* * *

**I'm going to be shot, I just know it. lmao. I know it's been a while! This chapter has been rotting on my computer for nearly a month now, and I've just been too lazy! I would make up an excuse, but I have none. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but hopefully _within_ a month. Ha ha. 'Kay, now that that is taken care of, I have an important announcement! **

**If you guys like The Last Airbender, I have created a fic that will rattle your minds with thrills and keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last sentence. This what I like to call the Corrupted Alliance, but I will not post it until this story is nearly done. I am have way through with this Corrupted Alliance of sorts, but I have a massive amount of editing to do. -_- So don't worry, I'm not giving up on Degradation! _...And if you like Phoenix Wright, I have the scripts coming in story-version..._ But _ANYWAY_! No more advertising, I promise you. I'll be BACH. D**

**[/kelsey-mae.]**


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